


I'll crawl home to her

by Noducksinpond



Series: Tumblr Fics of Mine [3]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 18:53:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14408367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noducksinpond/pseuds/Noducksinpond
Summary: "She should turn the TV on; it drowned out the silence most nights. The nights it didn't, she usually ended up curled up in her sheets crying." - Iris in the aftermath of the explosion in 2024.





	I'll crawl home to her

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on April 30th 2015 [here](http://jodiewhittakered.tumblr.com/post/117769118226/i-ll-crawl-home-to-her)

Having tucked the two twins to bed, Iris dumped down on the sofa and exhaled with a shaky breath. Her days felt longer, more exhausting than they ever had, even back in the early days at Picture News. She should turn the TV on; it drowned out the silence most nights. The nights it didn't, she usually ended up curled up in her sheets crying. She hated it, hated that she missed him with every bone in her body, but she did.

Barry had been gone for 3 months. He'd never been gone for that long, when he time travelled. It was the only time he actually managed to keep somewhat track of time, and not be perpetually late. It was that that worried her, that it meant he wasn't coming back, or that he hadn't actually time travelled and just exploded. Thankfully, Don and Dawn were too young to properly remember or miss him. She couldn't fathom having to explain to them that their dad was gone.

She had never had to not see him for that long, or at least hear his voice. In college, they'd talked on the phone practically every single day, and met up as often as they possibly could. Even during his coma, Iris had come to visit him at Star Labs almost every day. Him, not being there, him not being a part of her world, it hurt. It hurt like hell. The rest of the world went on without him, Cisco, Wally and Ray keeping Central City safe, no sightings of the Reverse Flash, but Iris didn't.

Just as she was about to drift off to something that resembled sleep, TV be damned, someone knocked on the door. Iris immediately jerked awake, and barely a beat of silence passed before someone knocked again. She grabbed the ice gun from where it was hidden, having learned that lesson a couple of years ago, and slowly moved to the door, unlocking it carefully.

Then Iris' heart actually stopped, because he was standing right there in the hallway, bathed in the surprisingly soft light from the lamps. He was still wearing his suit, but he´d pulled the mask off to reveal his ruffled hair. “Hey,” he said, his words softer than silk, and Iris couldn't hold back a sob, as she leapt forward and wrapped him up in a bone-crushing hug.

“Barry,” she simply said, his name escaping her lips in a mixture of disbelief and just sheer relief, more a sigh or a sob than anything else. She buried her face in the nape of his neck, and just breathed him in. Iris was pretty sure she was crying, tears streaming silently down her face, but she couldn't care less. He was home. Barry was home. Barry was actually home and Iris had never felt better in her entire life.

“How long?” he asked, every bit of his voice laced with all the apologies Iris could ever need. It was clear to her, that he could see the difference. That he hadn't just been gone for a few hours or even a day or two. His voice was practically silent and soft as the sun in the morning. Iris moved slightly away, leaning her forehead against his instead.

“3 months,” she whispered, letting all the pain show in the way she spoke, all the loneliness, still breathing him in and relishing in the fact that he was home. That he came back to her. “Jerk,” she added in a more teasing tone, and Barry grinned. She had missed seeing that smile. Missed it so incredibly much.

“Sorry,” he whispered softly, and let a hand brush over her cheek, the feeling so incredibly familiar. Iris let her eyes flutter shut, and kissed him softly. She finally felt completely at home.


End file.
